The influence of the duration of the germination process on the food quality indicators of sprouted lentils

Germination is one of the simplest and most effective biological processes capable of improving the nutritional value and functional properties of legumes. Lentils are characterized by a high content of proteins, minerals, and bioactive compounds; therefore, their germination has become increasingly important for developing products with enhanced nutritional value. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different germination durations on the food quality indicators of sprouted lentils. The research was carried out in 2025 at the laboratories of the Department of Food and Agrotechnologies at Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution. Seeds of three lentil varieties - red, green, and black lentils - were investigated. The seeds were germinated for 48 and 96 hours at a temperature of 21 °C. The contents of dry matter, ash, soluble solids, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids were determined during the study. The obtained data were statistically evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA).The results showed that increasing germination duration reduced the dry matter content in all lentil samples, while the content of soluble solids increased. The highest dry matter content was determined in red lentils after 48 h of germination (39.98%), whereas the highest soluble solids content was observed after 96 h of germination (25.7%). The study also demonstrated that chlorophyll and carotenoid accumulation depended on lentil variety and germination duration. The greatest increase in chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b content was found in red lentils, while carotenoid content increased most significantly in green lentils. In black lentils, pigment concentrations decreased or remained relatively stable during prolonged germination.The study confirmed that germination positively affects the nutritional and functional quality of lentils; however, the intensity of these changes depends on lentil variety and germination duration. The obtained results may be applied to the development of functional food products and in the optimization of germination technologies for the food industry.